Results 4,141-4,160 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Michael McCarthy: No, there has not.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Jan 2009)

Michael McCarthy: Is the Minister of State accepting the amendment?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I am glad Senator Regan seconded Senator Norris's amendment to the Order of Business because I was going to do so myself. What Senator Boyle raised are serious issues, as were Senator Norris's. After the budget, I asked the Leader if there was any coincidence that the one Government body critical of the Government's policy is being dismantled by the Government. I do not think there was....

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Will the Leader ensure the Minister for Health and Children gives a guarantee that there will be no reduction in accident and emergency services? I have argued that the HSE is not politically accountable and masks the responsibility of the Minister of the day. Given that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, is no longer attached to a political party and may not stand in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: This can be done only if additional resources are put in place. I want to raise two points, about the Lisbon treaty and the HSE service plan. The latter has been seen by RTE. The renegotiation of the Lisbon treaty was seen exclusively by "Morning Ireland". When will the Government treat these Houses with some level of democratic respect and discuss what is happening in regard to the Lisbon...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I also ask that any matter regarding the HSE will not be passed on to RTE but will be discussed in this House. We have had the bail-out scheme and we now have recapitalisation. When will we ensure that the Government will give a guarantee to homeowners that they will not have their houses repossessed for the duration of the current economic difficulty? We have given major assurances and...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I second the amendment. I also support it. The amendment reads: "Where exceptional circumstances arise such that arrangements under section 34(2) cannot be put in place without causing undue hardship, a housing authority may cancel the obligation of a household to pay part or all of the moneys referred to in that section". This amendment gives a housing authority the power to waive moneys...

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I second the amendment. If the Government is favourably disposed to this proposal, it should accept the amendment of this House. If, as has been clearly stated by the Minister of State in his response, the Government is favourably disposed to this proposal, the amendment should be accepted, in due courtesy, in this House rather than in the Dáil. I say this respectfully.

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Will the Minister of State ensure the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is provided with whatever resources are necessary to allow it to make its decision?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Why then does he not do it?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Senator O'Toole is correct. The Order of Business in this House is an excellent system that allows Members on all sides to raise issues of national and local significance. The issue of the marine radio stations in Malin and Valencia, for example, was raised by all Members on the Order of Business. The welcome decision by the Government to do a U-turn on that issue was due in no small part...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: As the insurance policy on the vessel is worth €3.8 million and it would cost €2 million to refloat it, an economic case cannot be made to ignore the issue. The national sail training programme has been called into question because the Asgard II was the main training vessel. Are we to take it that the programme has been abandoned? Is the sinking of the vessel being used as an excuse to...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Regional Fisheries Boards: Motion (9 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I welcome the Minister to the House. While I will not be opposing this motion, I wish to raise a number of points about the manner in which these elections have been postponed and how often they have been postponed, which I do not believe is a good exercise in democracy. It is not good that any board should be permitted to remain in place for almost seven years without a fresh mandate. It...

Seanad: Shoppers Task Force: Motion (3 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Billy Kelleher, to the House. I hope the debate will generate views from all sides of the House. We all represent people and we come from constituencies, however far apart they may be geographically, in which consumer trends are the same. People will feel the pinch equally in...

Seanad: Shoppers Task Force: Motion (3 Dec 2008)

Michael McCarthy: I am sure the Senator will not charge me for the luxury of that. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which comprises Members from all sides, has looked at roaming charges as well as the cost of text messages and the general prices charged by mobile telephone companies in Ireland. In terms of roaming, it would almost be cheaper to take out a...

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Nov 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Harbours (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Nov 2008)

Michael McCarthy: A well-remunerated position.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2008)

Michael McCarthy: Taxing the ordinary family.